Dear editor:

Our little village of Queenston has a growing traffic problem on Queenston Street and in light of the fatal bicycle collision with a pedestrian on April 1, action is due.  

Our residents association began looking at the bicycle traffic a few years ago but then COVID arrived and discussions were postponed.

My family has lived on Queenston Street since 1975 (including at the corner of Queenston and Clarence Streets).

We used to have issues with cars speeding through the village, but adding a four-way stop at Dumfries Street has helped that situation.

Cyclists go flying downhill past our house on Queenston Street, showing little care for caution including at the four-way stop at Dumfries. Electric bicycles are becoming more prevalent as well.

It is not just teenagers doing this; it is also families with children. It is rare to see anyone stop on the downhill portion of Queenston Street at Dumfries. Perhaps a speed bump is needed at the stop sign intersection?

Police reports state that the cyclist who struck Louis Leyland entered the village from the north, and although a shorter run, there is a hill there as well. Cyclists like to go as fast as possible to maintain their momentum.

Cars are backing out of driveways on both sides of the entire length of Queenston Street and there are multiple vehicles backing out of the post office throughout the day, including on weekends.

For the village to have a local pedestrian hit and killed is unconscionable.

I feel there needs to be signage at both points of entry from the bike path (north and south ends of the village), advising cyclists to ride slowly and be aware and extra careful while riding in the area.

As well, we need warning signs on Queenston Street approaching the Dumfries intersection from both the north and south.

There are many folks walking their dogs, people out for a walk alone or with a friend, and children playing near the street or crossing the street. 

A running club jogs down Queenston Street most evenings and they circle back up the hill and repeat with several laps.

There is little traffic until suddenly there IS traffic. Then it may be as silent as a bicycle or an electric car (both giving us no warning). Or sometimes people just don’t hear a vehicle coming. And our neighbourhood is aging, affecting hearing ability.

I think that there should be a police presence at the intersection of Dumfries and Queenston. Perhaps they could sit in the parking lot of the library.

We will have to investigate what power they have over cyclists if they do stop them. Or will the presence of a police vehicle be enough to make cyclists stop? But what happens when no police are here? Many cyclists are one-time-only visitors.

What about signage at that intersection showing a camera on the sign? Would this slow some bikes down and make the riders think?

Or do we plead with cyclists (and motorists) to think about their own children? Remind them we have children and seniors as well as pets out walking?

Perhaps we could get this created and approved by the Queenston Residents’ Association and installed faster than the Town of NOTL could approve it. We could present our proposal to the town.

Lastly, should we petition the Niagara Parks Commission to divert the bike trail from running through Queenston? These streets were not designed for the heavy bike traffic we get from late spring to early fall. 

There is no room for bike lanes; no warning signs about driveways and vehicles backing out onto the street.

It is because of the parks commission that we have all these hundreds of cyclists riding through the village. It was considered a cost-effective route to avoid widening the Niagara Parkway where it winds around the village.

If running the bike route through the village is a dangerous situation, which now seems obvious, then why should the village suffer? Why has one of our citizens of 45 years lost their life due to a cyclist hitting them in daylight on a clear day with dry roads?

With dock traffic increasing more and more on Dumfries, (crossing Queenston Street) the chance of another accident is heightened, especially if downhill cyclists continue to not heed the stop signs.

The next accident may not be with a pedestrian but maybe one of the cyclists who do not know the village and its traffic patterns.

They rent a bike in the Old Town and think they can ride to Niagara Falls. I am often asked is it much farther to the Falls? They have no idea.

Another bike season is upon us. Please, we need to come up with workable ideas to change the existing situation. It is long past due and unfortunately too late for Louise.

David Scott

Queenston